TRENDS
Sports Eyewear Hits the Streets
How to take advantage of the category's new popularity in the mainstream
By Erinn Morgan

The one thing most optical retailers agree upon is that the sports eyewear market is booming. One result, they say, is that the eyewear itself has moved out of sweats and onto the streets. New products, technically advanced performance lenses, a bevy of prescription options, and some giant design strides have pushed the popularity of sports eyewear and, therefore, made it easy for retailers to grow this category. Many say sports eyewear represents about five to 10 percent of total sales, with room to grow. "It went from zero to 10 percent of sales for us in the past 10 years," says Anthony Gaggi, co-owner of Myoptics, a four-store optical shop in New York City.

In addition to the wealth of good product available, dispensers say that consumers are more aware of the need to protect their eyes when it comes to participating in sports. "People are more in tune to the fact that their eyes are important too, as opposed to having another pair of [athletic] shoes," says Gaggi.

And many dispensers agree that sports, and the eyewear designed for them, appear to be much more prevalent in the everyday lives of their customers. To some dispensers, that represents an opportunity. To others, it's fulfilling an obligation.

"[Sports eyewear] is actually a necessity," according to Mike Poppinga, vice president of H.L. Purdy Opticians, a 40-year-old dispensary with four locations in New York City. "It is our obligation as opticians to protect our customers."

Even those retailers not currently committed to the category say they are looking to introduce and expand a sports eyewear offering. "We are trying to get some programs going here," says Anna Lam, the new director of merchandising for Cohen's Fashion Optical, which has 102 stores in the New York area. "It's a market that's already out there, especially in the Rx-able area."

TOP TIPS

So, you would like to get into this burgeoning category, but wonder how to add it to your frame board. Here are some hints from some sports eyewear dispensing pros:

The Rx is where the money's at. "Rx sports sunwear is huge for us," says Gaggi. This is the dispenser's competitive edge. Why not translate that into dollars with sports eyewear?

Rick Hogan, owner of Optical Designs in Santa Monica, points to the Oakley Rx program as a profitable niche for him. "I can't say we're doing much in sports eyewear because of the size of our dispensary, but we've definitely increased our offering of Oakley eyewear because of its Rx program," he says.

With the program, Hogan only has to call in a frame order along with the prescription order and Oakley produces the job in-house in seven to 10 working days. "It makes it really easy," he says. "I don't have to lose a piece in the store, I just pick up the phone and order it. This will definitely help us grow their business."

To ward off expensive mistakes, Gaggi now produces Rx sunwear in his own lab facility. "Nobody wants to get involved with this and pay for mistakes," he says. "The turnaround time is great and the quality is what we want it to be. This is why we do it in our own lab."

Some dispensers warn, however, that not every sports eyewear frame is appropriate for a prescription. "We can put lenses into any sport frame, but we recommend keeping the powers low because some people cannot tolerate the curvature of the lens with a prescription," says Poppinga. "Around plus or minus 2.50 or 3.00 is as high as we go."

Multi-purpose is the word. Skiers bike, and bikers ski, and golfers go boating, and boaters go golfing, and they all need eyewear. Therefore, many companies have focused on supplying sports eyewear product that serves many functions. And dispensers find it is this type of product that really sells. "A lot of people are asking for multi-purpose eyewear," says Carol Canada, the general manager of Europtics, a Denver-based group of three optical shops. "It is really important to keep it basic when setting up a sports eyewear assortment. Keep it not so specialized and it will make it easier. When I have a person come in and ask for a pair of eyewear for high-altitude bike riding at 10 o'clock in the morning, I steer them directly to the bike shop. You can end up spending four hours with this person."

According to Canada, a lot of sports glasses will fit more than just one sport. Many companies, such as Smith, Adidas, Boll�, and Rudy Project, have eyewear with interchangeable lenses that can serve many purposes. Dispensers also recognize that this is an area where additional dollars can be made. A customer who is interested in a particular product will certainly be interested in all the lens options available for different light situations. And other companies have prescription inserts that fit into different glasses for biking or goggles for skiing, etc.

"We have found that people will spend a little more money for their eyewear if it can serve a couple of purposes," says Poppinga.

Narrow and deep. Many dispensers recommend buying deeply into a few selected lines of sports eyewear. The selection process can often be confusing with all the different lenses and technical options available on frames. A smaller selection of brands can make it easier for the customer. "We carry solid companies that I trust like Oakley, Boll�, Arnet, and Rec Specs," says Poppinga. "That's all I really need because the companies go very deep themselves into their own product lines."

Price wide. Because of the wide range of customers and the sports they participate in, most dispensers say they carry a broad range of prices in sports eyewear product. "We have Arnets at about $85 and go up to an Oakley Pro frame with a prescription that is $400," says Poppinga. At Knighton Optical, a chain with 35 locations in Utah, Gary Knighton, vice president of product, says a range of $40 to $300 (for frames plus Rx) works for them.

Sectioning works. While many dispensaries are limited by space constraints, sports eyewear veterans say it is important to section off the sports eyewear department (even if it is a part of a separate sunwear section). "Definitely separate out the section," says Canada. "It really helps. It certainly depends on if you have the space or not, but do the best you can do. For a lot of people, it's overwhelming, and they like to encounter a special section."

At Optical Designs in Santa Monica, owner Rick Hogan has little space in his high-end dispensary. However, he feels that it is critical to separate the sports eyewear out. "You have to have a devoted section of the store where people are lured to."

At H.L. Purdy, Poppinga says they even set up a dedicated sports eyewear window display. "We have always carried a lot of sports frames, but it's really paying off now," he says.

Get polarized. More and more companies are offering polarization in their product lines (even fashion lines). And more and more customers are aware of its virtues and are asking for it. So if you carry a sports eyewear selection, sports eyewear dispensing veterans suggest carrying an offering of polarized product. And many say to remember that polarized lenses are not just for fisherman and boaters, but also for skiers, bikers, and those who are spending a lot of time in direct sunlight.

Follow the leader. The sports eyewear companies themselves are lauded by dispensers as being very in tune with the consumer, as well as with the necessary marketing and promotion of their products. "This makes it much easier to add sports eyewear into the mix of frames," says Myoptics' Gaggi. Utilizing the point-of-purchase materials from these companies as well as their product expertise will certainly help the sports eyewear bottom line.

FUTURE FOCUS

Looking to the future, most agree that sports eyewear has a growing potential. "As the general public is more prone to give sports eyewear a validation as equipment for their sports and not just a pair of sunglasses, it will give more companies a chance to really get into it," says Hogan of Optical Designs.

And more and more sports are coming onto the scene which opens up new customers (many of which are under the category "extreme sports," making sports eyewear a necessity). "I have seen these crazy guys getting into the off-road big-wheeled skateboarding," says Poppinga. "And even now people are skydiving and bungee jumping at the same time [two people dive attached together and one person pulls their parachute while the other extends down off a bungee cord]. Everybody will soon need some type of sports eyewear."

Adds Dan Berry, CEO of the six-store chain Eyepieces of Vail, "Today, vision is the smartest piece of [sports] equipment you can buy. This is why sports eyewear is successful." EB